Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe: Sometimes you just need those classic, soft peanut butter cookies (complete with the criss-cross pattern on top, of course). You can make this easy, from-scratch cookie recipe on a moment’s notice, they’re that simple! But if you love short-cuts, then you’ll also love these peanut butter cake mix cookies!
And if you like peanut butter, you really need to check out this Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie recipe or this No Bake Dessert: Brownie Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Trifle!
Why you’ll love this recipe
We love a quick, easy and tasty cookie recipe around here, and this soft peanut butter cookie recipe is definitely that!
I’ve seen so many different variations on classic peanut butter cookies, but I’m kind of an old fashioned girl at heart so of course my favorite would be old fashioned peanut butter cookies (you won’t find any chocolate chips, raisins or nuts in this one)!
These easy peanut butter cookies are soft and not crunchy at all. If that’s what you’re into, keep reading!
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Ingredients for easy peanut butter cookies
This recipe calls for 8 super simple ingredients – I can almost guarantee that you have them all in your kitchen already!
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, brought to room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions to make peanut butter cookies from scratch
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Sift the all purpose flour and baking powder together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and both sugars (white and brown) in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until it looks light and fluffy.
- Add the peanut butter to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low until combined.
- Next, add in the egg and vanilla, mixing until just combined.
- Add the sifted flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and mix until just incorporated.
- Using a cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), scoop out your dough and roll it into golf ball sized balls. Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Flatten your peanut butter cookie dough balls with the tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern.
Hint: You can dip your fork into some powdered sugar before pressing it into the dough to avoid having the fork stick to your dough balls!
- Bake for 8-10 min in your 350° oven or until your cookies start to look golden brown on the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a baking sheet and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: If you want a softer peanut butter cookie, only let them cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two. If you prefer a firmer cookie, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to the wire rack.
Pour yourself a glass of milk, fill up a plate, and enjoy!
Substitutions
Typically, peanut butter cookie recipes call for creamy peanut butter BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up. If you like a bit of texture in your cookies feel free to substitute crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy.
If you need a peanut-free cookie, you can substitute the peanut butter for another type of nut butter (sunflower, almond, hazelnut, etc.) or a nut-free peanut butter. Just be sure to read labels closely to ensure you aren’t exposing yourself or your guests to any of their allergens.
Variations
If you aren’t as much of a fan of old-fashioned cookie recipes as I am (no judgment here, all cookies are good cookies), you can try these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for a new twist on an old classic!
Storage
Store your peanut butter cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
These cookies also freeze well. Place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container (or a large ziploc freezer bag) and freeze for up to a month. When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw at room temperature and enjoy!
Expert tips and FAQs
Typically, peanut butter cookie recipes call for creamy peanut butter BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up. If you like a bit of texture in your cookies feel free to substitute chunky peanut butter instead of creamy.
It is possible to use natural peanut butter for peanut butter cookies, but since the consistency of natural peanut butter is so different from creamy peanut butter you may notice a difference in the finished product. You may need to experiment a bit with the recipe and try adding a bit more flour until you reach the desired consistency.
Since peanut butter cookies are quite dense, flattening them with a fork helps them cook more evenly. While you might be able to get away with only flattening them once, the criss-cross/crosshatch pattern you get from flattening it twice ensures a consistent thickness across the cookie (and it looks pretty, too)!
The main reason for messy fork marks on top of your peanut butter cookies is that the fork tends to stick to the thick dough.
To fix this, simply dip your fork in powdered sugar (aka icing sugar) before you flatten each dough ball! Be sure to re-dip before each time you flatten to make sure your fork doesn’t stick and create messy marks on your cookie dough ball.
Related Recipes
If you love easy cookie recipes, then you’ll also love these no-bake chocolate oatmeal peanut butter cookies and these red velvet cake mix cookies too!
📖 Recipe
Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg room temperature
- powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°.
- Next, mix (sift with a fork) the all purpose flour and baking powder together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, mix the butter and both sugars (white and brown) with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until it looks light and fluffy. (You can use a hand mixer as well if that's what you prefer!)
- Add the peanut butter to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low until combined.
- Next, add in the egg and vanilla, and mix until just combined.
- Add the sifted flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop (or a tablespoon), scoop out the dough and roll it into golf ball, sized balls. Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. (Or you can use a silicone baking mat that we love using for our cookie recipes!)
- Next, using a fork, gently press the tines in to each peanut butter cookie dough balls with the tines of a fork making a crisscross pattern.
- Bake for 8-10 min in your 350° oven or until your cookies start to look golden brown on the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a baking sheet and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Courtney says
These were SO good! Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica says
You’re so welcome! So glad the peanut butter cookies were a hit for you too. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Gayle Fox says
My new favorite cookie! I drizzled melted chocolate on half of them, so yummy!
Jessica says
Oh Gayle… drizzling melted chocolate on these peanut butter cookies sounds fabulous! Thank you for sharing and for leaving a review!
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing peanut butter cookie recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Jessica says
Oh Allyssa! I’m so glad that you liked these peanut butter cookies too! Such a great thing to hear!